Nissan has today announced U.S. LEAF pricing. On the eve of the New York show, they have successfully caused a near-unanimous "WOW" across the industry with an amazingly low price for high-technology system. Profit per vehicle is not something automakers are happy to talk about in any situation, but the expectation is that Nissan may not make any profit on the LEAF for many, many years. Still, the combination of an affordable price and the years of deep legwork Nissan has done in preparing consumers and communities for the product, the LEAF is the biggest step yet in advancing the cause of electric vehicles. What does this mean for the success of LEAF? Here's my first reaction...

Pricing Summary
$32,380 ($25,280 after $7500 Federal tax credit)
$349/month for 36-month lease (Nissan takes the credit to enable that price)
$2200--AeroVironment home-charging dock and installation (also eligible for tax credit)
$99 Registration fee, refundable (www.nissanusa.com)

Continue reading "WOW! $25,000 For an EV? Here Comes Nissan LEAF!"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 3:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

The 2011 Ford Mustang has all new engines: a new 3.7L V6 and an all-new unique-to-Mustang 5.0L V8. Ford has been rolling out the powertrain news, and the media, buff books, and blogosphere dutifully reporting it for the past couple of months. But after being exposed to the 2011 iteration of the Mustang, we can tell you there is much more than meets the eye. We had the chance for some brief drivetime the 2011 Mustang in most every configuration. Short form: Yeah!

The 2011 Mustang looks like the 2010 but under the skin it is a very different animal. Ford's strategy here is similar to that used for the 2008 - 2009 Escape. The 2008 Escape model got a major styling freshening and interior upgrade and the 2009 saw the major powertrain upgrades. While many scoffed that the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro had Mustang beat in the powertrain department, Ford engineers continued to develop and prepare these engines. Camaro put a bogey in place, to be sure, but neither engine is truly a response to Chevrolet's terrific powertrain lineup.

Continue reading "2011 Ford Mustang - More Than Just Great New Powertrains"

Posted by George Peterson at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

We recently got a chance to drive the European version of the Ford Fiesta, which is due to hit American Ford showrooms this summer. Engineered and developed mostly by Ford's European unit in Köln, Germany (but using a platform developed by Mazda), the Fiesta is an early example of the company's One Ford initiative that aims to leverage its global resources and commonize Ford products around the world. Up until now, Ford has usually developed specific Fords for specific markets, but the company believes that global tastes are converging and offering greater opportunities for cars like the small Fiesta to come to North America.

Continue reading "2011 Ford Fiesta: Let's Make a Party!"

Posted by Ed Kim at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Who Says You Can't Get Standard Navigation for $18,500? Not Suzuki
We called up the kind folks over at Suzuki this winter and asked if we could check out one of their latest additions, the 2010 SX4 Sportback. Specifically, we wanted to check out the standard integrated Garmin navigation system. Having spent a reasonable amount of time with systems that range from $1500 to $2500, the idea of a cheap but functional system appeals. The expensive systems generally have great graphics, bigger screens, and are nicely integrated into the car's center stack. But are they worth it?

Suzuki is also making some noise with what is now the second-oldest vehicle in its range, the five-door SX4, for 2010MY. Launched for the 2007MY, this five-door hatchback was introduced as an AWD model, causing some to initially confuse it with a small SUV. The range was expanded to include a sedan with the 2008MY, and a front-drive version of the hatchback became available for 2009MY. With 2010MY, these cars take a new engine that boosts power to 150HP and also comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission.

Continue reading "On the Road: 2010 Suzuki SX4 Sportback"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Whenever I evaluate a vehicle, I always pick an appropriate soundtrack. You see, I'm all about immersing myself into the experience of whatever a given car is supposed to represent. A bad-to-the-bone pickup truck? I'll put on some Johnny Cash (or if it's a Chevy truck, Bob Seger, of course). A stylish high-performance German coupe? I'll cue up some nu-jazz, perhaps from the likes of Christian Prommer's Drumlesson or Jazzanova. So, when I grabbed the keys to the Mustang Shelby GT500 with 540 supercharged horses, the only song that could possibly come to mind was the theme song from Team America whose title we can't print here. Expletive-filled and crass, to be sure, but then again, so is the Shelby GT500.

Continue reading "2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500: America, Heck Yeah!"

Posted by Ed Kim at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Women owning HUMMERs have a strong affinity for ten consumer brands in the USA.

AutoPacific's Research Suite database that annually collects the opinions of over 30,000 buyers of new cars and light trucks asked which of 27 brands a new owner would buy from. The results from AutoPacific's Consumer Brands Study clearly show the interrelationship between owners of auto brands and buyers of twenty-seven consumer brands like Walmart, Lowe's, Apple, Sony, Hugo Boss, Costco, McDonalds and more.

What the study shows is that you likely won't find a Porsche driven by a woman in a Walmart parking lot, but you are likely to find a Land Rover driven by a woman at an Apple Store. Using these data AutoPacific can develop clear profiles of the dynamics between these auto brands and consumer brands.

Looking only at female buyers, HUMMER buyers were most likely to shop at Lowe's, Old Navy, The Gap, Walmart and to buy Coca Cola, Levi's, Axe, LG, HP and Hugo Boss.

The only other brand that came close to HUMMER gals was Land Rover. They were tops in Polo, Methoc, Sony, Gucci, Hugo Boss and HP. They were also in the top five among Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Apple, Starbucks, Costco and Louis Vuitton shoppers.

Posted by George Peterson at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner

Sexy and Strong. And a Hyundai.
Hyundai has is developing its sense of style, seen in Genesis and followed up with the 2011 Sonata. This Sonata offers style inside and out, interior space and functionality, and entertaining driving dynamics. Easy on the pocketbook and easy on the eyes should be a killer combination.

Hyundai calls this design philosophy fluidic sculpture. Aside from sounding a bit like a physics experiment, the result is an expressive sedan in a sea of sameness. Though the grille could be called over-complicated, the sculpture in bodysides and hood is refreshing, one of the youngest of automakers. The chrome strip that runs below the window line, over the front quarter panels, and all the way down to heavily detailed headlights is a particularly attractive--and difficult to manufacture--element. This Sonata looks more expensive than it is. Even better, this exterior is matched with an equally good-looking, feature-laden interior.

The Sonata will offer four-cylinder power only, a brave choice. The 2.4L example we drove will be followed up by a turbo 2.0L and a hybrid by the end of the year. Details will be revealed at the 2010 New York auto show, but Hyundai has promised "substantially" more than 250HP from the turbo 2.0L.

Continue reading "First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Delivers"

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

subscribe and share

Subscribe with RSS Feedburner